SoMa: Ragged Angel
by AngelDancingOnAPin
Summary: "Blood encrusted, ash blonde hair framed a round, heart shaped face with high cheekbones and a little button nose. He couldn't tell anything about her mouth; it had been hit so many times that it was swollen to an unrecognizable size. Soul thought she was beautiful." Hacker/Subculture/Street AU. SoMa. (First fic... please don't hate it...) Rating may change for adult themes.
1. Hello World

A/C: Umm... not really sure how long a first chapter should be... but I hope you guys like it! Um, I'll update ASAP which is really just As Soon As OCD Is Satisfied (but ASAOCDIS doesn't roll off the tongue) and could I please have reviews? I want to know what I'm messing up. I'll even post good ones on the writing or something, because I would be extremely over-the-moon proud if anyone cared about this. Also, does anyone want to proofread? Yes? No? Maybe? Please...? I have apostrophe problems...

* * *

Soul opened the door to the Afterlife Club, and took the bass like a punch to the gut. Music flooded from giant speakers built into the entryway, a thumping beat like the pounding of a heart. It was at that special volume where any words are just static, and all you can do is sit and try and wait it out. It's his music, and he's pretty damn happy to hear it. Made him feel like a real celebrity. But past the door the beat faded and dulled, and he could pick out some of the heavily tuned singing. _And I go hunting for witches..._

"Sup dude." A short, bodybuilder dude with bright blue hair called as he walked in. "You playing something tonight?" Soul gave the guy a high five.

"Just games. Still working on the new songs." Was his reply.

"Fuck man. I am telling you to hurry it up."

"And I'm ignoring you."

"Don't rush art blah blah blah give it a rest would you?"

"Whiny asshole."

"Hipster bitch." Then the guy laughed, a huge, belly laugh that slammed into your ears like the roar of an obnoxiously overpowered car. "Anyway, we need to get beers again sometime soon. That was awesome. Don't know why the hell we aren't doing it every night."

"You got us kicked out of every single place we went to. I am never going with you again. Ever."

"Not my fault if the great Black Star is too damn awesome for them to handle."

"Yeah, it is, because when the great Black Star, which isn't even your name by the way, punches out the bouncer, he has officially crossed the line from being a drunk into being a fucking criminal." That earned Soul a glare. The name was a sore issue. Sometimes painfully so, usually on Soul's part.

"Whatever dude. Hey, Sid was looking for you. Said he wanted to play a few rounds." Then Black Star sauntered off for the bar, probably to get to that nice level of drunk where everything is hilarious but you aren't quite to the point of falling over. Because that dude drunk was just fucking wonderful...

"Ah, Eater returns!" Sid called from across the bar, in the process of handing Black Star something dark and bubbly. "Mira, watch this for me would you?" The dark skinned man yelled to the back, then jogged over. "Need a favor from you, Soul." He said with a sly grin.

"If this is about the new album, I already told Black Star..."

"No no no. I'm not going to sink to that boys level. Not the kind of man I am. No, I want you to try and beat your high score." He was, of course, talking about Kishin Hunter, literally the fighting game to end all fighting games. Soul was widely acclaimed as one of the best players in the world, despite never competing publicly. He had the high score for single player in every arcade in the city, and would take on any and all challengers in player vs player. He had never lost a single game.

"Um, that isn't going to happen. I was in the zone that day, don't even know how I did it." Soul replied, running his fingers through the pure white spikes he called hair. Then he sighed as Sid gave him a look that said _I don't ask if you're drinking underage, and I play your music for free. Don't even try to weasel out._ Sid was one of the people who could write a book entirely in significant looks.

"Fine. Fine." Soul grumbled, walking over to one of the plasma televisions that lined a wall. He booted up the console as Sid lounged on the couch next to him, grinning like an absolute idiot. Black Star came over with another drink.

"Yo. Whatchoo people doin." He demanded, slurring slightly.

"Eater's gonna play." Sid replied.

"Attention, geeks! Eater is gonna give you all a collective nerdgasm! C'mon and watch!" Black Star hooted. Soul squeezed his garnet red eyes shut and buried his face in his hands as the crowd accumulated, a flush trickling up his tanned face. Then he sighed and logged in on his account, Eater, and booted up Kishin Hunter. The familiar, eerie piano theme blared through the speakers, and it was all Soul could do not to humm it. This game had been his childhood. Well. Games, it was a series after all. Witch Hunter, Majin Hunter, Kishin Hunter. His holy trinity, atheism be damned. Haha. Bad jokes. Soul thought for a minute at the character page. Who to pick... always a hard choice. Finally, Soul hovered over his original favorite. Death Scythe, a lithe, robed figure carrying a massive scythe, incredibly fast with strong, slow attacks. Screw it. This was a favor to Sid anyway. It didn't need to be absolutely perfect, and he had set his record with Death Scythe anyway. Nostalgia picks were always good.

Soul pressed play, and was thrust into a creepy, darkened city square. Above in the sky a bloody moon laughed it's ass off, huge and mocking in the purple-black sky. One moment ticked by, two, three, a suspenseful hush filling the room. Then came the monsters. In every variety and shape and size they came, some fast, some slow, some massive, some the same size as his character. The only real similarity was that all of them had something to kill him with. Claws, clubs, swords, fangs, an infinite list of nasty nasty things that would fucking end him if he didn't move.

Soul tensed on the controls, then his character pivoted right, the scythe whirling to deflect the slash of a skeleton like creature with massive claws. Death Scythe completed the motion, separating the things head from its shoulders. He tried to dash forward and collect the glowing soul for bonus points, but a huge, rocky golem blocked his advance. With an irritated growl, Soul sent his character into an elaborate attack, slashing and chipping away at the creatures legs. He bounced on top as it fell dead, grabbed the soul from it and the one from the first monster, then used his scythe to vault up onto a roof. He mashed a button as a shadowy nightmare rose from the ground, wispy hands outstretched. Death Scythe slammed a fist into the monster and it exploded, just before he would have seen an abrupt end to his run. Soul had barely enough time to grab its soul before he was on the move again.

He fought his way clear of a large press of monsters, then ran along the rooftop, trying to get some distance. Somewhere around here was a witch, a special monster that would net him an assload of points. Suddenly, an explosion came from his left, and he barely avoided being blown to pieces. Soul spun Death Scythe around to see his target. Witch. With a few quick taps Death Scythe was sent flying through the air, straight for the monster. Now the tricky part. Soul's fingers worked in a flurry, beating out a long sequence of buttons as the witch raised a hand to kill him, another of the explosions glowing and crackling at her fingertips. Soul finished the combo and Death Scythe's massive scythe glowed like silver fire, then sliced clean through the witch, again timing it just before he would have been screwed. Soul collected the fallen soul and watched his points skyrocket.

Thirty minutes, five witches, and countless smaller monsters later, something along the lines of a zombie dog got the better of him, ripping out his character's throat as Soul frantically mashed the block button, despite it being too late. But he looked at his score. Not too bad, in fact, really great. Another witch and he would have hit his high score.

His high score... Soul stared in shock at the leaderboard. The number one spot no longer read _314,159,265 - Eater - Death Scythe._ Now it said _1,115,169,235 - Ragged Angel - Death Scythe_ which was almost a full billion points above his score. Billion. With a b. And on his character!

"What. The. Fuck." Soul swore as the room burst into laughter. He immediately turned to Sid. Was this the ex programmers idea of a joke? "Sid." He growled through clenched teeth. "The hell did you do."

"Surprise Eater." The man replied cooly. "And hell no, I didn't mess with it. That isn't the kind of man I am." Then he smirked. "Though a little humility never hurt anyone."

"Man, you got fucking owned!" Black Star guffawed from somewhere on the floor. He was rolling on the ground with laughter. Literally. The jackass. "Your goddamn face!" All the other patrons were snickering along with him. Everyone loved to see a king dethroned. Soul tried to calm down. Think, think. Sid wouldn't lie so...

"Sid." He managed to ask above the mocking cacophony. The coffee skinned man definitely know something, if Soul only thought to ask. The guy had worked on Kishin Hunter after all, back before he had opened Afterlife. "You helped program this. Is there any way to get a billion points? Other than being absolutely inhuman?" The man looked thoughtful, thinking back on his coding days.

"Yeah, sure. We put it in as a secret. It seems someone found the Kishin."

"Kishin?"

"Special monster we put in. Whoever Ragged Angel is, they're damn good. It was supposed to be unbeatable, and next to impossible to find. But it gave a billion points." The man raised an eyebrow, impressed. "It's only been a year since release. We thought it would be hidden for at least two." Soul tried to process this, and failed. Something he didn't know about the game? Gah. Fuck. He needed a drink. Getting off the couch he gave the still giggling Black Star a kick.

"Ow shit!"

"I'll be taking you up on those beers." Soul muttered grimly.

* * *

Two hours, six bars, and five fights later Soul staggered in the door to his apartment, nursing a split lip and a bruised shoulder. Other things would hurt in the morning, such as a massive hangover, but through the haze of alcohol he couldn't feel much. Small blessings... Slumping into his computer chair, Soul opened up the internet. He really needed some normalcy, and screwing around on the web seemed like a good way to do it.

"Son. Of. Every single bitch. Ever." He calmly swore at the monitor, too tired and pissed to even be angry. Soul had set up his browser to automatically open a set of of pages, including his blog. It was basically a place for him to post on his music, and it got somewhere close to a quarter million hits a week, which he was extremely proud of. And right on the damn thing was a post, by him. Except he had never wrote it.

_"Dear Eater. I hope I got your attention. Just wanted to say hi! Message me back on the blog, if you wouldn't mind."_

The picture had no signature except for an elaborate drawing of an angel. Not an ordinary angel though. Torn and tattered robe, drooping wings, and a tear stained face. A Ragged Angel if he ever saw one.

* * *

Somewhere across the city, a figure in a worn white hoodie bit their lip, staring at the blog. Would he respond? It had been three hours. There was still a buzz of excitement and nervousness left over from the initial rush of posting that message. Eater was, after all, their favorite musician. And yes, it had been a bit stalkerish, but that could be forgiven if it was awesome stalking. Hacking a blog and beating him at a game was awesome, right? With a sigh the figures head dropped back down to study a large book. Waiting was awful. And waiting in a library, surrounded by books that had to be left on the shelves for fear of someone taking the computer? That was hell.

* * *

"Fuck." Soul muttered. The name wasn't much special. True, it was creative, and pretty badass. But he could find a lot of things named Ragged Angel. All he really had to go on was two sentences and a picture. Without expecting to find much, Soul popped a few searches into the computer for the image. Nothing. He couldn't find a match anywhere, and the drawing was good enough that it should have a few hits. It wouldn't be lingering in some random corner of the web, if it was anywhere but his blog.

Soul read and reread the words. He got absolutely jack shit nothing. A little perky, sure. That didn't really say much. Well, only one option left. Sighing, he typed a reply post.

_"Dear Asshole. Don't hack my blog. Though I have to admit, if you wanted me to notice you, congrats. I have. We need to play. Kishin Hunter, tomorrow, five PM. That work?"_

It only took a few moments for Ragged Angel to reply. Were they just staring at the page or something?

_"Dear Eater. My apologies. I didn't mess anything up though. And, I don't think I'll show up. Sorry. Just see if you can beat my score, okay?"_

_"Dear jerk. Good. I wouldn't want to have to spend the rest of the night fixing shit, so thanks, sort of. And we are going to play, but I'll beat your score first. Deal?"_

_"Dear Eater. Maybe. I need to leave. Bye. I'll talk to you tomorrow."_

* * *

Across the city, the figure stretched and yawned, the sleeves of the filthy hoodie falling down to reveal skinny, pale arms. With quick, furtive motions the dirty, ragged figure logged off and darted into the library. They hid in a small, out of the way cranny, behind a shelf that would seem too close to the wall to fit anything, much less an entire person. He had responded! He had actually responded! It was... surprising to say the least. Usually when you piss someone off like that they get angry, like normal people. Eater must be screwed up in the head if having his website hacked just made him want to meet her. Ragged Angel had to admit, they were definitely going to contact him again.

Just out of curiosity though.

Nothing else.

* * *

A/C: Did anyone catch all my references? In addition to Soul Eater I referenced Bloc Party, the Dresden Files, and pi. The number. Yes... sorry... nerd jokes... AND WHO CAN GUESS WHO RAGGED ANGEL IS!

Reviews:

**1112Black rose2111: The ragged angel is...Maka!**

**Me: Yay! You got it! Congratulations *confetti shower***

**ErriBerrii: AWEsome! Update sooon**

**Me: Really? You really like it? Um. Cool! Thanks! And I'll try to. I'm a bit of a perfectionist... so it may take a bit...**

**Noigen: Pretty awesome so far! Definitely interested to see where you'll take this.**

**Me: Um, so am I to be honest. I'm literally doing the plot outlines at school, and I'm only on chapter three with them. So... I'm not finding out much before anyone else, even though I'm writing the darn thing!**


	2. I Saw an Angel

A/C: This is hopefully my last boring chapter before I get into real plot. I'm trying to like, build interest in each other between Soul and Angel (why do I even bother to call her that... you guys have already figured out who she is, right?)

* * *

School was hell. And Soul meant that literally.

Waiting in class, when he wanted to be home figuring out who Ragged Angel was, or at Afterlife trying to beat their score, was pissing him off to no end. Why was he in class, listening to some stupid ass lecture, when he could be doing something actually interesting? Out of boredom he studied a printout of the blog posts, analyzing and reanalyzing the words, the picture, the time, whatever.

Maybe he was a little obsessed. Maybe.

But it was driving him insane not to know. And... he did have a lead. Another hacker he could call. There was all sorts of ways you could track down a picture, and some were even stamped with a location. A time. Whatever, he might get something. Something so that he could use to find this goddamn person before he lost it.

Finally the bell rang, and Soul sprinted for the door.

One class down. Just one. Fucking. Class. This was hell.

* * *

"Ea-tard!" Black Star called in a mocking, sing song voice when Soul hurried into Afterlife. "Hows my favorite video gaming re-tard?"

"Shut the fuck up. I bet you took all day to think of that. Also, using retard twice? Really?" Soul retorted, more than a little pissed. "Listen, I need a favor."

Black Star smirked and leaned back against the bar. "Apologize, and say my insult was godlike."

Soul growled. "Your insult was godlike. I'm sorry I could ever have said it sucked. Now, I need Tsubaki." That definitely got him a look.

"And you need her why? And for what?" Black Star was suspicious. He always got a little... touchy when Tsu was mentioned. And calling it just a little touchy was like saying a swarm of hornets would be just a little touchy if you used their nest as a football.

"I need her help with figuring out where a picture came from."

"Oh, you mean that badass angel drawing?"

"How the fuck do you know!" Soul demanded. If this had been Black Star this entire time there was going to be a fatality...

"I follow your blog. Helps me figure out when you finally get around to releasing shit." Then Black Star grinned. "In fact, you might want to realize there's kind of a lot of people reading it. Flirting with some random 'net dude is probably not a good idea."

"I. Wasn't. Flirting." Soul snarled each word out through clenched teeth.

Black Star made huge, exaggerated eyes. "Oh we are going to play. We're going to play that game all day." He said, moaning each word in a breezy tone like some kind of cheap man prostitute. It was... disturbing. To say the least.

"Shut the fuck up. I didn't even say that." Soul grumbled. Though. He kind of said stuff a lot like it... fuck.

"Yeah, well, I think my impression was pretty spot on." Black Star flipped out a sleek, black cell. "I'll give Tsu a call, see when she gets off work."

"That girl is wasted on-" Soul was about to make a crack about how she deserved better than Black Star, and thought better of it. Tsu was the one subject the guy never joked about, and he didn't let anyone else do it either. "that boring tech firm she works for." Soul finished, not missing a beat. Fortunately, any slip he might have made was ignored. Black Star had already gotten her, and started talking. Soul, as far as Black Star was concerned, had ceased to exist.

"'Sup. Hows work? Hey, great! Well, yeah I did want something. Mhmm. That picture. Yeah. Okay, cool. See ya then." He hung up, a delighted grin on his face. "She got promoted! Hell yeah!" Soul coughed politely, and Black Star refocused. "Oh, and yeah, she'd already seen the picture. And it does have some fancy technojazz on it. She said she can be over in ten, they gave her the rest of the day off."

* * *

A few minutes later, a tall, gorgeous, extremely, ah, well endowed brunette walked in the door. She was wearing a spotless white skirt with a matching sweater, and had a long dark braid running down to her waist. She strode up to the bar where Soul, Black Star, and Sid had been killing time, and gave the blue haired psycho a small kiss on the cheek. Then she flashed a radiant smile to the other two.

"Hey, Soul!" She murmured, her soft voice seeming to sing every word. "I heard about your little problem."

Sid sighed. "It seems like I'm the only one who didn't. I feel old."

"So, Tsu. Can you show me where it was taken?" Soul asked. Tsubaki slid into a bar stool, reached into her purse, and fished out a thin, high tech laptop.

"Of course. Give me just a minute." Everyone crowded around the glowing screen while Tsu opened a few menus. "Let's see... and we can just..." She copied a few coordinates into google maps.

"The library. Really?" Soul grumbled. Of all the people who he could be stalking, it had to be some geek at the library. Obnoxious Black Star comment in three... two...

"Soul is stalking some lonely library geek." Black Star said in disbelief. "Wow. That's sad man."

"Whoever it is is probably just smart." Sid murmured. "Using public computers so they can't be traced. They're really paranoid." Then he turned a little half grin to Soul. "Though for once, I have to agree with the smurf. You really need help."

"Both of you, shush!" Tsubaki told them. "Soul is just curious." But she was fighting back a smile. Well. More of one. Tsu was always smiling.

"Soul is just desperately needing to get laid." Black Star snickered. "Seriously man, it's what groupies are for."

"Deal with him." Soul begged Tsubaki. She was the one person who could get him to shut up for a change.

"Ah, I was heading out anyway." Black Star stood up, and offered Tsubaki his arm, then continued in a courtly British accent. "Ms. Nakatsukasa? We should celebrate your promotion." Then his voice returned to normal and he cackled "And I got a great fucking way to do it. C'mon!" Then he practically dragged the stumbling woman out.

"Bye! See you all!" Tsu managed before the door closed shut behind them.

Soul stared at where the couple had been. "They are the absolute strangest pair." Sid nodded silent agreement. "Well, I'm going to hit the city."

"By which you mean the library?"

"Is it that obvious..."

"Yes. Have fun."

Soul sighed and headed out the door. Everybody's a critic...

* * *

He went back to the apartment first, just to get a big, black and orange hoodie, which he drew up over his head to cover the hair and eyes. Especially the eyes. Bright red disturbed some people, and it was also kind of his trademark. Today was incognito day; he didn't want to be recognized, especially not if Ragged Angel would be there. About twenty minutes later a taxi dropped him off outside the big, grand, brick building that was the D. City Public Library. Soul slipped in, hood up, looking at the ground. A news ad was blaring from the tv, and he stopped to watch for a moment out of random interest.

"The scandal involving actor Stephan Albarn and his wife, Kami, has escalated further as their teenage daughter's two week disappearance remains unresolved. Stephan had this to say..."

Soul walked off before his head exploded from celebrity bullshit. Big scandal, dude cheats on his wife, family drama, it was all none of his business. He didn't understand why everyone got so worked up over other people's problems just because they were famous. Suddenly, his blog getting so many hits seemed more terrifying than cool.

Soul wandered around the building. He had never been in it before, and he didn't really know where they kept the computers. Or anything really. God, he felt like an idiot, getting lost in the library. After a few minutes, he finally spotted a cluster of monitors. Then, another. As it turned out, there were five different little groups of outdated desktops, and Soul was determined to investigate each and every one. First one, no luck. Just a few old people. The second and third were the same story. But on the fourth one, he saw a slim figure in an old white hoodie, hunched over a book. At first, he didn't think much of it. Then he looked at their screen.

On it was another drawing of the Ragged Angel.

* * *

"Angel?" Soul breathed by the figure's ear. He had found them! Goddamn yes! With a sudden, blindingly fast motion, Angel whirled and ran.

Shit. That was unexpected.

Soul chased after them, darting past all the little bibliophiles on their race to the exit. What was this dudes problem? He just wanted to talk, dammit!

"No running in the library!" An elderly hag of a librarian screeched at them disapprovingly. Neither slowed. The exit was only a few feet away, and they were just passing the tv

"Their teenage daughter Mariel Angeline Kingsley Albarn was last seen..." The figure suddenly stumbled, seemingly tripping over the flat ground, and Soul almost managed to grab their wrist. But they were off again in an instant, and he spat out a curse.

Slamming open the door Soul kept pursuing, his oversized sneakers pounding on the pavement. He should have worn better shoes. Why did he even own these things? Soul made a mental note to buy some real goddamn running shoes as soon as possible.

"Hold up!" He called to the figure in the white hoodie. He was gaining, but slowly, his longer legs an advantage on the straight sidewalk. Without showing any acknowledgement Ragged Angel darted into an alleyway, dirty hoodie disappearing behind a wall. Soul followed, almost slipping on a hamburger wrapper as he barreled into the alleyway.

"Stop!" Rang a voice as he dashed forward, almost colliding with Angel. It was a high voice, feminine, and somewhat soft, but Angel had such a razor edged tone of authority that Soul immediately obeyed.

He was, at heart, a submissive bitch.

"What do you want." Angel demanded, close enough to touch. She wasn't turning around, and Soul couldn't see a single detail of her face.

"Just... to talk..." Soul panted. Wow. She was a hardcore runner. And he was really not. At all. Angel sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry about... the stalking stuff. Forget it. Just leave, would you?" But she wasn't budging, despite just telling him to buzz off.

Soul finally got his breath back and replied. "Hey, I was extremely fucking impressed." He stopped for a moment, needing to draw a few more panting gulps of air. "Honestly, I just want to play you." He remembered Black Star's crack from earlier. "In Kishin Hunter."

"Now I'm the one being stalked, is that it?" Angel asked, her voice teasingly amused. But there was still a diamond hard undertone. She was pissed about something. Or maybe afraid. Soul didn't really know which.

Soul shrugged, whether she could see it or not. "Guess so. Anyway. You game?"

She sighed. "Maybe once. I'll need a console alone though."

"Why?"

"I don't want anybody to see what I look like, okay!" Soul decided not to press the issue. Obviously, the girl was a little loopy.

"Okay, okay. Fine. Uh, do you have it at your house?"

She laughed slightly. "I live in the library, Eater. I don't have a house." Soul was shocked. She was out here on her own?

"Where the fuck is your family?" He demanded. "This city has the highest crime rate in the country. It isn't safe at all."

"I'm here because I left home. My parents are... having problems, and I would rather deal with this than them." He could almost hear her bittersweet smile. "It's a little creepy, but when I came out here and realized this was where you live I had to do something to get your attention. Your music kept me sane. Weird, I know. But, if what you tell the press is true, your family isn't any better off than mine. It was inspirational." Then she gave him the finger and started walking away. "I'll give you a way we might be able to talk sometime later." Then he could hear her smirk. "Also, get someone who actually knows how tech works. The security on your site was pitiful."

"Hey now!" Soul started to protest. But by that point, Angel had already taken off, and Soul didn't even try to catch up.

* * *

"Yo, Sid." Soul called to the coffee skinned man. "Can I get your input on something?"

Sid paused his game, and Soul leaned against the wall opposite the couch so they could talk.

"You find your hacker?" Sid asked with a quirk of his eyebrows.

"Yeah. She-"

"Oh, she?" Sid gave him a significant look. _So you want romantic advice and are too stuck up to ask, is that it?_

"Yes, she." Soul growled. "Angel is homeless. She's... camped out in the library or something." He feels an invisible hand twist at his guts, despite only just having met the girl. "I wondered if you had any ideas for something I could do to help."

Sid ran his fingers through his short dreadlocks, and Soul waited expectantly. Sid and his wife had been like the family Soul had abandoned when he was twelve. He valued the mans opinion, and had learned to respect the hell out of him in the six years they had known each other.

"Let me talk to Mira. Mira?" He told Soul, then yelled the last bit into the back.

A voice drifted back, a sweet, rich, honey and chocolate sound that belonged to Sid's wife. "Yes?"

"Soul and I need your input on something." Mira quietly stepped out of the back, holding a mop. She was average height, and built like a gymnast. Her skin was colored like a tea stain on paper, and her sharp features were highlighted by a mass of thin, unruly braids.

"Is it that Ragged Angel everyone's been going on about?" Mira asked.

"Right as always. Apparently Soul has taken a liking to her. And she basically lives on the street, so he wanted to get her something nice." Sid answered, before Soul could speak. As usual, the two would only let him get a word in once they had everything worked out. Just like real parents...

"Hmm... well I suppose we could put something together." Mira turned her watery blue eyes to Soul. "She could always stay with us, if she'd like."

"Uh, she was kind of weird. As in, didn't want anyone to see what she looked like. So I doubt that would work."

"Want to keep her to yourself, do you?" Sid said dryly. He held up a hand when he saw Soul's offended look. "Sorry, I sometimes forget about teenage pride. Mira, I'll be right back with some supplies for Eater's little Angel. Soul, why don't you write her something?" He gave Soul a suggestive look, then walked out of the club.

* * *

Angel was wrapping up her nightly routine. Make sure everything was locked up, come out of hiding, check the blog...

Hold up. That hadn't been there before.

A simple, brown paper grocery bag had been stuffed under her favorite computer. She fished it out, wondering what it could be. Inside was food. And... was it really...? Angel almost fainted when she saw the stick of deodorant. Finally, she could smell like something other than the fragrant perfume of an alleyway. Well. At least it would help. There was also a change of overlarge clothes, and a small box. Hesitantly, she opened it. A note fell out.

_"Dear Angel. You seem like a music fan, so here's my old iPod. It has some of my stuff on it, and a bunch of other good songs. Enjoy. Also, if you ever need any help, talk to Sid at the Afterlife Club."_

There was no signature, but it had to be from Eater. Also in the box was a sleek green iPod touch, the last generation, and a pair of decent quality earbuds. Well, she wasn't sure if she liked just being called Angel, since after all it sounded kind of like a pet name. But she could definitely live with the iPod. Already humming a few of her favorite songs, Angel stashed the bag near her sleeping spot and crawled behind her bookcase. In the morning, she would be using the change of clothes. And possibly yelling about the pet name.

But for tonight, she was happy to just fall asleep, listening to Eater's music.

* * *

A/C: Okay, the two things I liked about this chapter were my Black Star and Tsubaki pairing, and my hint. Mariel Angeline Kingsley Albarn. Anyone want to look at those initials? And did anyone notice how Angel stumbled when the tv said that? I'm totally ruining my foreshadowing... gah. Sorry...

******Erriberrii: This is Erriberrii but don't have time to log in. Great chapter and good thinking with the initials.**

**Me: Thank you! It actually took me like an our to think of. Mara? Mackenzie? Madeline? Too many choices... and that was just the first name... OCD problems...**

**Nojiko0: Maka?!**

**Me: Yup, Maka! And child, we need to talk. You see, I have found a Shadow/Amy pairing on your profile.**

**And so, for the purposes of this conversation, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my childhood OTP. Prepare to die. LIKE REALLY DID YOU PLAY SONIC ADVENTURE 2! GAAAAH KIDS THESE DAYS!**


	3. Chatlog 1

A/C: Okay, this is the first real interaction between Angel and Soul. Also, I did it in a weird format, AKA a chat, if anyone reading this doesn't like it please tell me. I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not and I want to know if this chapter needs to be redone or what. I'm kinda just messing around. Also, don't try that link, please, it's made up. I am not responsible for viruses!

* * *

HeavenChat 8.0 chats/online/raggedangelchatroomeatergetyourassinh ere/

-Chatlog 9/19/2013-

eaterofsouls666: sup. get my package?

raggedangel: of course dummy

eaterofsouls666: well, hey, just checking

raggedangel: very sweet of you. much appreciated. send more toothpaste

eaterofsouls666: hey, quick question, how the hell were you even eating before

raggedangel: i have a job you know

eaterofsouls666: a pretty shitty one im guessing

raggedangel: part time. i cant afford much beyond food

eaterofsouls666: i got that library girl

eaterofsouls666: anyway

eaterofsouls666: whatcha doin?

raggedangel: securing this chat site and talking to you

eaterofsouls666: doesnt it come with security stuff? i thought you said this site was good

raggedangel: it doesnt come with my security stuff

eaterofsouls666: man i need to get you and tsu in the same room...

raggedangel: tsu?

eaterofsouls666: friend. bigtime computer geek. youd like her

raggedangel: hey

eaterofsouls666: yeah?

raggedangel: are we friends?

eaterofsouls666: thats a weird question. yes

raggedangel: i wasnt really sure

eaterofsouls666: you want one of those dumbass bracelets in your next goodie bag?

raggedangel: stfu

raggedangel: and quit putting in extra stuff. ipod is nice and all but im a big girl

eaterofsouls666: who lives in a library

raggedangel: eater, dont test me

eaterofsouls666: fine, fine

eaterofsouls666: and call me soul

raggedangel: sure why not. dont test me, soul

eaterofsouls666: sigh

eaterofsouls666: you know, most people would give out their name

eaterofsouls666: politeness

raggedangel: i can give you another fake one

eaterofsouls666: ...

raggedangel: its closer to my real name at least

eaterofsouls666: ...fine

raggedangel maka

raggedangel: and i need to go. job stuff

eaterofsouls666: bye. when the hell are you going to come to afterlife!

raggedangel: dont know. dont bug me. bye, see you later

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A/C: Aaaaand I can finally call her Maka. This is good. I am very happy about this. I know it was short, but it's kind of an interlude into what I have next. I promise there's a porpoise! (purpose=porpoise) ALSO HOLY COW SEVEN REVIEWS IN A DAY? ARE YOU ALL ON BLACK BLOOD?

******1112Black rose2111: yay! New chapter! And now start on the other!**

**Me: I'm trying to keep two stories going at once, this one is my realistic one and I'm writing another one that actually has fantasy stuff in it. So if you demand more of my writing, check out my other story, okay? Okay. Coolio.**


	4. Unfortunate Occupation

A/C: This was... difficult to write. To say the least. I don't even half want to edit it, but here you guys have it. At least I can start writing some cute stuff soon. But, this was inspired by my mom's awful story about a coworker who got beaten up by her ex... really tragic...

* * *

Maka logged off, shoved her hands in her pockets, and went walking. Her clothes, on the whole, were new, but she had kept the ratty white hoodie, more out of nostalgia than anything else. It had been a present from her mom after all. Maka's feet took her left, right, and then right again, down into the bad part of town. She pulled a key out of her pocket and slotted it into an unmarked, metal door deep inside an alley. Immediately the pulsing, pounding music of Chupacabra's began to throb in her ears. Maka pushed past an army of horny men into the back room, keeping her eyes off the dancers.

"Bitch Angel!" A tall, rough man sneered. "Finally."

"Hello Giriko." Maka forced a smile. "Ready for work."

"Damn right you are. Get changed." Giriko hooked a thumb at the back, and Maka slipped into the changing room. She dropped her patchwork jeans for skin tight leather shorts, the hoodie for a bra far too tight and too small even for her.

Maka hated the job. Hated dancing. Hated Giriko. But there wasn't anything she could do. It was about money after all, and the club pulled in a lot, not that Maka ever saw much. And despite spending hours every week looking for something else, she couldn't get hired anywhere. Nobody wanted to hire a skinny girl with no ID and no diploma, not even from high school.

"When am I on?" She asked, coming back out.

"Now. Out."

Maka took a deep breath. Just an hour... just an hour...

Merciful god just an hour...

Maka danced. It wasn't anything special, she didn't try at it. Like just about every girl there, she didn't want to be doing it. And unlike them, she didn't have the body or the charm to pull it off anyway. She had done gymnastics earlier in life, and that helped some, but mostly she copied the others and waited for the music to stop.

It finally died down, and Maka went backstage to a scowling Giriko.

"That sucked dick." He informed her as the rest of the girls flopped down for a few moments. "You have two choices." Then he got this sinister, twisted smile that wouldn't look out of place on a serial killer. "Promotion or get out."

Maka was completely lost. "Promotion? What?"

"Promotion to an actual fucking whore is what." He yanked her closer, his hot stinking breath on her face, his tongue flickering disturbingly out of his mouth. Was he trying to look sexy? Because it just looked fucking terrifying.  
Maka kneed him in the balls.

She was so. Fucking. Tired. Of his bullshit.

"I choose leaving." Maka said, her voice carrying all the icy fury of a blizzard. Giriko's face twisted in pain and fury.

"Not an option now, bitch." He growled, his voice the fire to her ice. "Everyone else out." The rest of the girls scampered back on stage and the beat resumed, louder than ever. Maka tried to run, but Giriko got an iron grip on her arm.

"I. Choose. Leaving!" Maka snarled, her free arm clawing at his face. That was when he started hitting back, one fist driving cruelly into her stomach. Maka's breath whooshed out in a rush, and she doubled over, only to meet his knee with her nose.

Maka hadn't grown up on the streets, the exact opposite. Giriko, on the other hand, was a hardass for a D. City pimp, which put him pretty high on the list of people who could beat the shit out of you.

He didn't hold back anything, his heavy boot ramming into her side, back, and head. Maka could only curl up, whimper, and wait for it to be over. But she was still furious, spitting with rage, and managed to cuss him out despite it all.

"Fucking-" He stomped her fingers. "cowardly shit." She gasped out. "Can't pick on anyone your own size." He slammed into her nose again and she screamed. "Die fucking alone!" She managed through her tears.

Some time later, how long she didn't know, the pain stopped. Maka was on the street, every single bit of her and pounding. It was raining, a perfect ending to her night. She needed... she needed help... Maka managed to stagger to her feet. Slumping against a wall, she hobbled off down the street, fueled only by rage and sheer stubborn will.

She would never let Giriko beat her. She was going to survive.

But maybe just this once, she couldn't do it on her own.

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A/C: I feel this showed off Maka's personality very well. Like, even in this, where she isn't an absolute ninja, she still doesn't take anything from anyone. I hate it when people write her all nervous and stuff, because she isn't. Once she decides on something, that's it, she's going for it, and she doesn't ever back down. I can understand writing her awkward with feelings stuff though, because she kind of can be. But this? No. She would go down... well... like this, and I feel it's a disservice to the character to write it any other way.  
Breathe... breathe... rant over...

**Guest: What happens next?**

**Me: God I wish I knew... I'm so stuck on how this should play out. If anyone has suggestions, let me hear them. Time to demand help from friends with the magic of blackmail...**


	5. Help Me, Jerk

A/C: I know this is short, but it's all I have so far. Writers block...

* * *

Three, loud knocks echoed throughout Soul's apartment. At one in the morning.

"Fucking hell who is it!" He demanded, getting out of bed and stumbling for the door. Someone was going to die...

There was another knock, quieter this time, as Soul fumbled with the lock. It was going to be Black Star or something. Soul Eater, in his apartment, with every sharp object he could lay his hands on...

He finally yanked open the door, and Maka fell into him.

She was only wearing the hoodie and a pair of underwear, all the better for showing the bruises, cuts, and scrapes all over her entire body.

"Shit!" Soul exclaimed, then hoisted the girl up to lie her down on his couch. He sprinted to the bathroom, throwing open each and every cabinet. First aid kit... where the hell was his first aid kit, dammit! Finally he found the thing and hurried back, yanking open the catches. God, he didn't even know how to use it and he had a half dead girl right in front of him.

On the couch Maka coughed weakly. "Soul?"

"I'm here." He fumbled around, trying to tie on a bandage over a particularly nasty gash on her knee.

"You're doing it wrong." She murmured, and guided his fingers. "You need to get some over the knee. Cut off blood flow a little." She coughed again, and Soul winced.

"Ok. Just... relax, okay?" He needed help from her? Really? So fucking backwards. Soul finished patching her legs up as best he could, then her arms. Finally he turned his attention to the bloodstained hoodie. "Can I check under that?" He asked quietly. There were several obvious bloody patches, but then again, it was her privacy. Wait, why the fuck was he worrying about that right now?

Soul looked up at her face, trying to wait for a reply, and the sight took his breath away.

Blood encrusted, ash blonde hair framed a round, heart shaped face with high cheekbones and a little button nose. He couldn't tell anything about her mouth; it had been hit so many times that it was swollen to an unrecognizable size.

Soul thought she was beautiful.

And completing it all were these brilliant, burning emerald eyes, sparkling with a hidden fire no matter how she looked. Soul could get lost in those eyes, for a moment he did, drowning in her burning gaze, and only got jolted out when she finally answered.

"I suppose I don't have much choice, do I?" Maka murmured, and Soul suddenly wanted to go back to thinking of her as Angel. The name fit her so much better.

As gently as he could, Soul eased open the zipper, but he still provoked a hiss of pain from the girl. Underneath was a nightmare, her entire torso one giant bruise. Soul wrapped the open scrapes and cuts up with gauze, trying to be as tender as he could. But his hands were shaking with rage.

Someone did this to her.

"I'll grab you some painkillers. And... hell. Ice won't help, I'd need to freeze you." Soul muttered, heading back to the bathroom for a bottle of ibuprofen. She opened her bruised mouth, one gaping split lip making him shudder in sympathy, and fed her three.

"I suppose you're wondering what happened." Maka said quietly.

"Not important." Soul managed. She definitely didn't need to be doing anything but going the hell to sleep. "You need your rest."

Maka coughed again. "No. I owe you an explanation." The girl shifted slightly, angling herself towards him. "My... job. It wasn't exactly... legal. The only kind of job you can get as a girl with no ID and no diploma." She didn't need to elaborate, he knew exactly what she meant, and he was pissed. This girl and her stubborn pride... he could have given her some money! "I... wasn't doing well enough. And the... manager told me to either do something I didn't want to or leave." She blushed slightly. "I may have gotten mad and kicked him. That... wasn't smart. So he beat me up a little, and you're the only person whose address I knew." She blushed harder. "From the whole stalking thing."

"Beat you up a little?" Soul almost couldn't look at her, she was so bad off. "Jesus. I'd hate to see what you think is a lot."

Maka tried to laugh. It came out more as a sob. "Could I be in a real bed? The couch is too small..." She asked hesitantly.

"Gah. Fuck. Sorry. Yes." Soul blurted, and delicately picked her up again, carrying the girl to his bedroom. "This is the only one I have. I'll be out on the-"

"Uh uh." She shook her head. "It's your apartment..."

"But-"

"Don't test me Soul."

"You want me to stay in here?"

"What do you think!"

"Fine." Soul grumbled. "Do you need a change of clothes?"

"Morning." Maka replied, already drifting off. "Too tired. In. Now." Soul sighed and climbed in, opposite her. However, it wasn't the biggest bed, and they were less than a foot apart. Awkward... Soul couldn't help but feel like he was doing something wrong.

"Night." He told her uncomfortably.

She was already fast asleep.

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A/C: Ending sappiness factor is too high.

**WhisperingLady: Please please please please please please, a million times please, continue this story!**

**Me: But of course! I'm also probably going to be working on at most two other stories. Check those out if I don't update this one and you still want to read my stuff, or put up with slightly long update times. I'm a perfectionist, I have a huge school course load, and I'll probably be working on three stories. So... yeah. Just be a little patient, okay!**

**Anonymous Vulture: Epic story bro! Continue please!**

**Me: Will do! And, I would just like to say, Wonder Woman/Batman pairings forever. Did you ever see Justice League Unlimited... because... *fangirl squeal* but then again. Batman is just amazing in anything.**

**SaYa DeMoN DaRkNeSs: i like this :P**

**Me: As do I. We think alike.**

**Guest: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?!**

**Me: Have we met before? Another guest said something similar. And I'm working on it, okay!  
**

**Keytchee: I think it's really good! I hope to see more in a not too distant future(yes, FEEL the pressure! ;) )!  
**

**Me: Aww thanks. And yes... I feel all the pressures... I'm stuck on a good conflict... rawr. Writer people problems.**

**Guest: Love it! Keep it up, hope to see more soon! :D**

**Me: Just for you this story will never be updated again. Juuuuust kidding, it will when I have ideas again.**


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